Cold War again? Colorado seeks peaceful coexistence with wildlife

A bear was sighted in a tree near Columbine Elementary in Boulder on August 27, 2015.Photo by Cliff Grassmick, The Daily Camera

Bears in an Avon home. Photo courtesy of John Barr Jr.

Colorado wildlife officials put out a plan to guide conservation. It’s not a regulatory document but sets priorities for at-risk species.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife agency promotes peaceful coexistence amid rapid population growth and development, which increases pressure on habitat, with climate change complicating efforts to take better care of land and water.

Federal government involvement revolves around species already headed for the ecological equivalent of an emergency room: Endangered Species Act protection for when a species is so imperiled it may vanish forever. The case of the wolverine builds on a growing body of law related to climate change and species survival.